Six of the women were graduate students like me, but not all students in the School of Education; one was a new professor, and two of the women were sorority sisters of mine. Out of the six graduate students, four of the women were Black doctoral students in various stages of their education, from the first year to ABD, all but dissertation.
The conversations that evening ranged from relationships to books to pop culture, but became very serious when the lone professor asked two of the Black graduate students about their research and experiences as Black graduate students. Needless to say, the women were all open to sharing their experiences.
The two ladies that were in the process of writing their dissertations had much to say about their experience as doctoral students; particularly about their feelings of isolation, frustration and loneliness.
They felt that they had not been properly mentored by White faculty, nor were they able to develop healthy, professional relationships within their respective departments. When there were Black faculty members in their departments, they felt like they were competing with other students of color for their time or sensed the faculty were themselves frustrated and overwhelmed.
As the spring semester of the recent school year progressed, I began to understand what the two ladies expressed that evening regarding their experiences in academia. I found myself feeling isolated and frustrated by the very process itself.
I’d been informed that I may not be funded for the coming year and should actively seek funding from other sources. Really? But this cannot be happening.
